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Airport boundary sensors at it again, detect 2nd intruder in 10 days

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Of the airport’s perimeter of 18.8km, the system covers a length of 10.8km
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The electronic sensors installed along the boundary wall of city airport are proving to be a big success. The smart gadgets on Thursday night detected a man who was trying to sneak into the airfield and raised an alarm, leading to his arrest. Last month, a 23-year-old man, believed to be mentally unstable, was held for attempting a similar unauthorised entry to the sensitive area.

When was the breach detected?
Sources said the incident came to light around 10.50 pm when a joint team comprising personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force and airport operator MIAL found a man breaching the boundary wall from the eastern side of gate number 8 near Kranti hutment area.

Who was the intruder?
The police identified the man as Somnath Sukhalal Patil, 24. "The control room immediately informed about the breach to the CISF personnel manning the airside. The intruder was apprehended later," said an airport official. The CISF handed over Patil to local police. "We are yet to ascertain Patil's exact intention of entering the prohibited zone. Further investigation is on," said ACP Madhukar Sankhe.

What had happened last month?
In a similar incident on December 23, a 23-year-old man was held after he crossed over into the airport by crossing the PIDS. The airport security officials said Vinod Kumar appeared to be mentally challenged. He was handed over to the local police and was later sent to a mental hospital in Thane, sources said.

What is this surveillance system?
The airport boundary now has a Perimeter Intrusion Detection System (PIDS), which sends alarm every time it is breached, said airport officials. The airport boundary, which is around 18.8 km in circumference, has PIDS coverage for about 10.8km. The rest of the area remains inaccessible due to Mithi river. The boundary wall of the airport is monitored and patrolled by over 120 off CISF personnel.

How does the system work?
The PIDS is a vibration sensor-based technology integrated with taut wire, which acts as secondary barrier to the airside perimeter protection. The system at city airport raises an alarm after receiving vibration from weight beyond a certain limit, contrary to systems planted at other airports in the country that keep giving alarm every few minutes, even when a bird sits on it. "The frequent alarms due to birds give a lot of headache to the security agencies and airport operators," said an aviation industry insider.

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